Railroad-signal



(No ModeL) l y l DE WITT o. JAMES;

RAILROAD SIGNAL No. 352,412. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.-

S14/Danko@ y k JW 0. ya??? e s @31A his @www PETERS, mummy-pm wmingm" n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE VITT C. JAMES, OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,412, dated November 9, 1886. Application Sled June 5, 1886. Serial No. 204,243. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WITT C. JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at War ren, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is designed to furnish a sys- -tem of railroad-signalsl atsuitable intervals along the track, by means o'f which advance trains may automatically signal those behind on the same track, so as to prevent the successive trains from running each other down; and it consists in certain mechanism operated by a passing train to shift the signal and hold it in position forasuitable length of time, and then return it to its normal position, as more fully hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing a section of a track and my improved automatic signal in connection therewith; Fig. 2, detached views of a portion of the mechanism for returning the signal to normallposition after being shifted; and Fig. 3 represents a detached enlarged view in perspective of the mechanism employed for operating the devices for automatically shifting the signal.

The letter A indicates a suitable frame located at'one side of a single track, B, and secured tothe extended cross-ties C of such track.

D indicates a shaft journaled in bearings E on the extended cross-tie F, and the beam G, secured to the cross-ties C.

The letter H indicates a guide-box having horizontal flanges I, and secured to the crosstie F close to the rail, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings. i In the said guide-box is located a vertical slide, K, having a lateral arm, L, at its lower end, and a head, M, at its upper end, the said head being beveled on opposite sides, as indicated by the letter N, for the purpose hereinafter explained. Below the slide and in the guide-box is located a spiral spring, P, which holds the slide up in a normal position, so that the head will be slightly above the rail.

The shaft D at its end adjacent the track is provided with a crank-arm, R, which sets directly underthe arm L of the slide K, so as to be operated thereby when the slide is depressed bythe train, To the shaft D is secured a beveled gear-wheel, S, which intermeshes with a similar wheel, T, on the signalshaft U, which is journaled in suitable bearings in the frame A, and carries the signal V at its Lipper end. The shaftD has also mounted on it a disk, W, which has secured to its periphery one end of a spiral spring, X, the other end of which is secured to one of the crossties C, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The letter Y indicates a gear-wheel loosely mounted on the shaft D, and Z a ratchet-wheel rigidly mounted upon said shaft and setting close up against the wheel.

A'indicatesapawl pivoted to the geanwheel and pressed against the ratchetwheel by means of a spring, B', which keepsthe disk and working parts of the device in normal position.

The letter C' indicates a vertical shaft jonrnaled in suitable bearings in the frame A.

Near the upper end of said shaft is secured an arm, D', and the lower end of said shaft is provided with a pinion, E', which intermeshes `with the gear-Wheel. f

The letter F' indicates two wires depending from the upper cross-beam of the frame, and G' two vertical wires extending from the intermediate cross-beam of the frame A, terminating above the ends of the wires F'.I

The outer end of the shaft D is provided with an arm, H', which alternately connects with the plates I' of an electric circuit, so as to signal from station to station.

' Theoperation of my invention is as follows:

When a train passes over the head upon themovable slide, it depresses it, and its lateral arm presses down the crank-arm on the end of the horizontal shaft, causing the vertical shaft to turn a quarter of a revolution and shift the signal. The disk on said shaft also turns and winds the spiral spring a short distance upon it, the beveled gear-wheel remaining idle. After the train has passed the spiral spring exert-s its force to return the parts to normal position. In doing so the pawl takes into the ratchet-wheel, causing the beveled gear-wheel to rotate, which in turn rotates the vertical arm, which has secured to its end a cord, L', having a ball attached to its lower extremity. The centrifugal force causes the cord first to strike against the dependent wire at one side, and then wind around the adjacent vertical Wire, stopping the mechanism in the meantime. After being fully wound the weight of the ball causes the oord to unwind, when the said cord passes between the two wires and permits the arm to make a se1ni-. rotation, when the oord comes in Contact with the dependent wire on the opposite side of the frame, repeating the operation, and so on un- .til the parts assume their normal positions.

It will be perceived that byrthis meansthe parts are slowly returned to anormal position, giving ample time for the signal to be fully observed from a succeeding train;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the guide-box, its slide having a beveled head and side arm, and the spring for returning the slide to normal position, of the horizontal shaft and its crank- ,ball at one end, and the dependent and vertical wires, the Whole arranged to operate in suoli manner asto return theA parts slowly to normal position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l DE WITT C. JAMES.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. D. Davis,

D. ALEXANDER. 

